The Balmy Store in Satara: A Beacon of Sustainable Storefront Design
In the heart of Maharashtra’s Satara, known for its scenic beauty and cultural heritage, The Balmy Store emerges as a beacon of sustainable design. Crafted by the distinguished Work of Walls in 2023, this store embodies the essence of Rustic Art, an organic personal care giant.
With an emphasis on organic and reused materials, the store showcases an enticing blend of aesthetics and ethics, proving once again that beauty can coexist with sustainability.
About The Balmy Store
Introducing Rustic Art: An Organic Marvel
Based in Satara, Maharashtra, India, Rustic Art boasts its own manufacturing hub. This organic personal care titan is not only a top Amazon seller but also flaunts a lineup of 180 wholly organic products. Their range spans from skin and hair care to pet and home solutions. Notably, they’ve innovated a cosmetic range, solely crafted from vegetable colors and oils.
To augment their tangible brand presence, Rustic Art envisages micro experience stores scattered across the state. Surprisingly, the primary aim of these outlets isn’t retail sales. Instead, they focus on magnifying brand visibility and catalyzing website purchases.
Designing a Prototype Experience
The challenge? Creating a prototype for both experience and retail that’s effortlessly replicable. Located in a cozy 250 sq.ft (2,691 sq.ft) space measuring 4.4m x 5.3m (14.4ft x 17.4ft), this store nestles within their expansive 3000 sq.ft (32,291 sq.ft) head office in Satara.
Client keywords centered on “Brand Recall, Prototype, Sustainable, and Rustic.”
The Conceptual Vision
The store’s design and ambiance aim to lure in passersby. We envisioned a journey through a space that’s both exhilarating and tranquil, masterfully molded from reused materials. Product presentation is paramount. Hence, rather than mere storage, shelves radiate elegance, meticulously showcasing each item. Above all, the material palette emphasizes sustainability, practicality, and reusability.
Crafting with Sustainability in Mind
Selecting a material palette epitomizing Rustic Art’s ethos was pivotal. Given the brand’s commitment to minimizing environmental footprints, “Discarded Paper Rolls” emerged as the prime choice for the frontal feature wall.
These rolls seamlessly pair with display racks sculpted from “Pinewood Battens.” Complementing this is a slightly beige iteration of the “Local Indian Marble,” used raw to resonate with the rustic vibe. Additionally, glass shelves infuse transparency, enriching the store’s ambiance.
Architectural Highlights
On the primary wall, paper roll cylinders stand VERTICALLY, enhancing spatial height perceptions. A central semicircular arch spotlights the brand’s emblem. Flanking the arch, twin shelf rows offer a holistic brand snapshot.
Constructed from Pinewood Battens, the DISPLAY RACKS adopt a stringent grid. This design choice ensures each product receives undivided attention. Adjacently, a mirror introduces a reflective pause during one’s store exploration.
Anchoring the space is a singular, free-form “Local Indian Marble” table. Despite its asymmetrical paper roll legs, it melds drama with the tabletop’s streamlined edge, epitomizing rustic finesse.
Photography by Pranit Bora
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- by Matt Watts
